Kim Names 3rd Son as Next 'Dear Leader'

Kim Jong-il has designated his youngest son Jong-un as his successor to lead North Korea, according to reports in the South Korean media. It's the latest sign of dramatic transformation in the isolated nation that launched a highly controversial nuclear test last week. It remains unclear whether Jong-un, 25, will hold real power or serve as a figurehead, reports the Times of London.

Speculation about the future of North Korea has been intense since Kim reportedly suffered a stroke last summer and disappeared from view for three months. Jong-un was educated at a Swiss boarding school and is said to have driven a specially converted Mercedes around the family compound as a boy. It may be years before Jong-un takes the top spot; his father had a similar path to power.
(More North Korea stories.)